To the Hebrews

8 Now this is the main point of what we are saying: We have such a high priest as this,+ and he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,+2 a minister* of the holy place+ and of the true tent, which Jehovah* set up, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.+4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest,+ since there are already men who offer the gifts according to the Law. 5 These men are offering sacred service in a typical representation and a shadow+ of the heavenly things;+ just as Moses, when about to construct the tent, was given the divine command: For He says: “See that you make all things after their pattern that was shown to you in the mountain.”+6 But now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry* because he is also the mediator+ of a correspondingly better covenant,+ which has been legally established on better promises.+

7 If that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second.+8 For he does find fault with the people when he says: “‘Look! The days are coming,’ says Jehovah,* ‘when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. 9 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,+ because they did not remain in my covenant, so I stopped caring for them,’ says Jehovah.*

10 “‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah.* ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I will write them.+ And I will become their God, and they will become my people.+

11 “‘And they will no longer teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying: “Know Jehovah!”* For they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful toward their unrighteous deeds, and I will no longer call their sins to mind.’”+

13 In his saying “a new covenant,” he has made the former one obsolete.+ Now what is obsolete and growing old is near to vanishing away.+